In a Republican-led Congress where Trump has kept a firm grip on much of his party’s base, a smaller but steadily expanding group of lawmakers is showing a willingness to step away from the White House on high-stakes votes, AP reported. The group is operating with enough independence that it has been dubbed the “YOLO caucus,” a reference to the slang “you only live once,” and AP said its growth could complicate the president’s congressional agenda on issues ranging from Iran to immigration funding.
AP said Cassidy is the newest member of that cohort. Days after he lost his Louisiana primary to a Trump-backed challenger, Cassidy reversed himself on legislation involving the war in Iran and voted with Democrats to rein in U.S. military action, according to AP. AP also reported that Cassidy told reporters the day before that, “The way our Constitution is set up, Congress should hold the executive branch accountable.”
AP said the next potential example could be Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. The report pointed to Cornyn’s position after Trump endorsed Ken Paxton, Cornyn’s rival for the Republican nomination in an upcoming runoff, as a sign of how the primary calendar and party alignment may continue to interact with members’ willingness to break with Trump.
In AP’s account, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is a longtime outlier, and the report linked his status in the YOLO caucus to how he has frustrated Trump during the president’s first term and afterward. AP said Massie’s position was solidified after he lost his primary on Tuesday to a Trump-backed challenger, and AP included Massie’s remarks during his concession speech, where he said, “I got seven months left in Congress,” as the crowd erupted.
AP also described other Republicans who have taken actions that, at least at points of conflict, do not align with the White House. It said Sens. Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins have shown independence—highlighting, in particular, that Murkowski joined Democrats last week in a bid to curb Trump’s war powers in Iran. AP also said Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have voted against some Trump Cabinet picks, while Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has pushed to reclaim congressional power over tariffs.
The report said some of these members’ leverage is tied to retirement decisions or to the political realities of their states. AP noted that Tillis, McConnell and Bacon have decided to retire, which AP said gives them the ability to vote knowing they will not have to face the same kind of Republican primary pressure again. AP also reported that Collins and Murkowski have more room to maneuver because they represent states that tend to reward political independence, and that Massie’s prior electoral strategy involved voters supporting both Trump and a lawmaker who sometimes crossed him.
AP described Democrats as watching the developing splits as an opportunity, especially with thin majorities in both chambers. It said Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson are already governing with what AP described as threadbare majorities, and that shifting loyalty among even a few Republican lawmakers could make it harder to move substantial legislation ahead of the November midterm elections.
Thune, according to AP, called Cornyn a “principled conservative” and “very effective senator” on Tuesday, and AP reported that Thune said, “None of us control what the president does.” The next vote tests could arrive later this week, AP reported, as Thune pushes a funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection designed to pass on a party line basis—an effort Democrats said they intend to counter.
At an event in Washington on Tuesday sponsored by the Center for American Progress, AP reported, Jeffries said he would aim to drive a wedge between Republicans using a so-called discharge petition to bring issues directly to the House floor for a vote. AP said Jeffries pointed to past success, saying, “When we’re disciplined and when we’re focused and when we put pressure in particular on the so-called swing seat Republicans, they have been breaking with us.” AP also quoted California Gov. Gavin Newsom as describing Trump’s endorsement of Cornyn’s rival as influence aimed at the Republican base rather than the broader public.
AP said Republicans are also thinking through how votes could be cobbled together for upcoming legislation, as leadership and members weigh how much room they have to maneuver before the midterms. In the aftermath of Cassidy’s primary loss, AP reported, Sen. John Hoeven called Cassidy a “good friend” and said the loss was “tough for him,” adding that he believed Cassidy “will always vote in line with what he thinks is best” while doubting that he would become less reliable. AP also said Sen. John Kennedy described Cassidy’s approach as “rationally and maturely” and said he would “continue to do the same thing.”
AP said Cassidy rejected the idea that he would spend his final months in Washington as a troublemaker for Trump, saying he planned to do “what’s good for my country and my state.” But AP reported examples of independence resurfacing quickly after his primary loss, including Cassidy commenting on a western alliance’s condition after Trump visited China and raising concerns about an administration fund meant to compensate Trump allies. AP also said Cassidy described public concerns during his post-campaign return to Washington, saying, “People are concerned about making their own ends meet, not about putting a slush fund together without a legal precedent.”